PICKLED JALAPENOS

Gwyneth Paltrow grows jalapeño peppers at her beach house. I buy mine at the supermarket. See how similar we are?

One thing she does have on me is that she’s nailed the recipe for pickled jalapeños in her It’s All Good Cookbook. I make several batches of these each year and they never go to waste. They’re perfect with scrambled tofu, on top of soups/salads, or tucked in tacos. I usually aim to give as gifts over the holidays, but often run out of time and so the jars end up being mine-all-mine.

Jalapeños may seem like they’d be too hot to handle. And they are, when they’re fresh. But something about letting them pickle in a salty brine really does take the edge off. Before you know it, you’ll be popping these like candy.

Combine the vinegar, water, salt, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a small saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil, and turn off the heat. Meanwhile, pack your empty jar with the jalapeños and stuff the bay leaf and the garlic slices in and among the peppers. Pour the vinegar mixture over the jalapeños, being sure to get all the seeds into the mix. The liquid should completely cover the peppers. Let the jar cool to room temperature, then tightly screw on the lid and stash the jar in the fridge. The peppers are good to go after a week, but they keep up to a year in the refrigerator.

Feeling Lawless? Nothing in our house is safe from pickling! If it’s a veggie, it gets pickled. Carrots, cucumbers, beets, radishes, onions, beans (so good in vegan Caesars!), etc. Normally I’ll double, triple, or (you get it) the recipe and then start to scour my fridge for candidates.